1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to food preparation and processing. More particularly this invention relates to the processing of cereal grains. Specifically, this invention relates to the infusion of flavors into cereal grains prior to the sale of the same to the consumer and includes a four step process comprising preparing a liquid seasoning, increasing the porosity of the cereal grains, infusing the flavor of the liquid seasoning into the more-porous cereal grains, and then locking the flavor into the flavor-infused cereal grains.
2. Background Information
It has become fairly common in recent years to add flavoring to food products that would typically be fairly bland without the addition of that flavoring. One of the food substances which have been treated in this manner is rice. Typically, the rice is packaged in such a way that the untreated grains are enclosed in a box along with a package of seasoning. The consumer will place a quantity of liquid in a pot; will add the uncooked rice and the contents of the flavor package. The contents of the pot will be heated and as the rice cooks, the exterior surface thereof is coated with the spices from the flavor package. There is little to no penetration of the flavor into the grain itself. Consequently, while the end product of such a flavoring methodology is relatively pleasant to eat, the flavors can be somewhat washed-out and a little on the bland side. Simply increasing the quantity of spice in the flavoring package would not necessarily make the end product more flavorful. It could simply result in the rice tasting like it has been treated in some slightly unpleasant chemical way.
An additional method of flavoring cereal grains is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,846,584, 6,143,336 and 6,403,132, all assigned to Mars Incorporated. In these three patents, a process of infusing flavors into rice grains is disclosed. The rice is mixed with various flavorings such as spices, pieces of meat and vegetables etc., where the flavorings are in either a dry form or a liquid form. A quantity of liquid is added to the rice/flavoring mixture and the combined mixture is agitated for a short time, preferably around one minute. This is just enough time to disperse the flavorings and surface moistens the rice. The time is not sufficient to allow moisture to penetrate into the kernels and indeed it cannot so do because of the natural imperviousness of the rice kernels. The moistened rice/flavoring mixture is then placed into separate small containers and is subjected to high pressure and a burst of ultrasonic energy for around 30-80 milliseconds. That combined pressure and ultrasonic burst is apparently what drives the flavoring into the rice kernels. The process disclosed in these patents also shapes the rice and pieces of meat and vegetables into a cake and the product is sold in this form. While the shaped cakes are desirable in some applications, many consumers will not wish to purchase their flavored rice in this form.
There is therefore a need in the art for flavoring cereal grains, particularly rice, in an improved manner.